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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ground — a position
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. land — to come down
  7. bound — tied together
  8. file — a tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bound — certain
  12. club — a group
  13. file — a line of people
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ground — the earth
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — ground
  20. root — of a word
  21. club — for golf
  22. land — a country
  23. file — a document
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com